Objective: To analyze the causes of World War I.

Causes of World War I -

M

A

N

I

A

ilitarism – policy of building up strong military

forces to prepare for war

lliances - agreements between nations to aid and

protect one another

ationalism – pride in or devotion to one’s country

mperialism – when one country takes over another

country economically and politically

ssassination – murder of Austrian Archduke

Franz Ferdinand

MANIA

Causes of WWI - Nationalism

• Rise of Nationalism

– Europe enjoys peace in late

1800’s, but problems lie below

surface.

– Growing nationalism leads to

competition among nations.

– Many Balkan countries demand

independence.

Causes of WWI - Nationalism

Balkan Countries

1914

Imperialism:

European

conquest of

Africa

• Imperialism and Militarism

• Competition for colonies stirs

mistrust among European

nations.

• Animosity spurs European

countries to engage in arms

race.

• Militarism – policy of glorifying

military power, preparing

army.

1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures

France 10%

Britain 13%

Russia 39%

Germany 73%

Causes of WWI - Militarism

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1914

94 130 154 268 289 398

Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.]

in millions of £s (British pounds).

• Bismarck Forges Early Pacts

• Germany’s Otto Von Bismarck

works to keep peace in Europe

after 1871.

• Believes France wants revenge

for loss in 1870 war.

• Isolates France with a series of

treaties and alliances.

• Signs treaty with Russia -1881

• Forms Triple Alliance

• Germany, Austria-Hungary

and Italy - 1882

• Shifting Alliances Threaten Peace

• Kaiser Wilhelm II becomes

German ruler.

• Foreign policy changes begin in

1890.

• Alliance with Russia dropped.

• Russia allies themselves with

France.

• Britain, France, Russia for

Triple Entente alliance – 1907.

Triple Entente: Triple Alliance:

Causes of WWI - Alliances

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Italy

Great Britain

France

Russia

Restless Region

• Many groups in Balkans want

independence.

• New nation of Serbia made up of

Slavs.

• Austria-Hungary annexes Slavic

region-Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Serbia outraged.

Causes of WWI - Imperialism

The“Spark”

Causes of WWI - Assassination

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie at

Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28th, 1914.

Causes of WWI - Assassination

Causes of WWI - Assassination

Austrian

Archduke

Franz

Ferdinand

was killed in

Bosnia by a

Serbian

nationalist

who believed

that Bosnia

should

belong to

Serbia.

Causes of WWI - Assassination

Gavrilo Princip after

his assassination of

Austrian Archduke

Franz Ferdinand.

The Point of No Return:

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Austria blamed Serbia for Ferdinand’s death and

declared war on Serbia.

Germany pledged their support for Austria -

Hungary.

· example of Pan-German nationalism

Russia pledged their support for Serbia.

· example of Pan-Slavic nationalism

The Point of No Return:

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Germany declares war on Russia.

France pledges their support for Russia.

Germany declares war on France.

Germany invades Belgium on the way to France.

Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on

Germany.

World War I

Allied Powers: Central Powers:

Great Britain

France

Russia

Italy

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Ottoman Empire

Objective: To examine the horrors of trench warfare.

Trench Warfare – type of fighting during World War I in

which both sides dug trenches protected by mines and barbed

wire

Trench Warfare

Cross-section of a front-line trench

British trench, France, July 1916

(during the Battle of the Somme)

French soldiers firing over their own dead

An aerial

photograph of the

opposing trenches

and no-man's land

in Artois, France,

July 22, 1917.

German trenches

are at the right and

bottom, British

trenches are at the

top left. The

vertical line to the

left of centre

indicates the

course of a pre-war

road.

Officers walking through a flooded communication trench.

A photograph of a man suffering from trench foot.

NEW WEAPONS USED

Machine Guns – Guns could now fire 600 rounds per minute

The Tank – New steel tanks ran on caterpillar treads

Airplanes – Early dogfights resembled duals, however by 1918 the

British had a fleet of planes that could deliver bomb loads

Poison Gas – mustard gas was used to subdue the enemy

Soldiers digging trenches while protected against gas attacks

'Gassed'. Painting by John Singer Sargent, 1918/1919.

Poison Gas Deaths: 1914-1918

Country Non-Fatal Deaths Total

British Empire 180,597 8,109 188,706

France 182,000 8,000 190,000

United States 71,345 1,462 72,807

Italy 55,373 4,627 60,000

Russia 419,340 56,000 475,340

Germany 191,000 9,000 200,000

Austria-Hungary 97,000 3,000 100,000

Others 9,000 1,000 10.000

Total 1,205,655 91,198 1,296,853

British Vickers machine gun crew, western front, World War I.

Dogfights

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/launch_vt_dogfight.shtml

http://www.history.com/video.do?name=dogfights&bcpid=1610679540&bclid=1600

116540&bctid=1531249545

Western

Front – over

400 miles of

trenches

across

Belgium and

France

· Most offenses

resulted in

heavy

casualties but

gained little

territory.

United States Entrance into War

· However, we traded

food, weapons, oil,

steel, and other goods

far more with the

Allied Powers than

with the Central

Powers.

American

Neutrality

· Officially, the U.S.

was a neutral

country.

· However, Britain

and Germany set up

blockades around the

British and German

coasts.

Freedom of the Seas

· The U.S., as a

neutral nation,

claimed the right to

trade with either side

in the war.

· German submarines, called U-boats, torpedoed enemy ships

and neutral ships trading with the enemy.

A German U-boat Torpedoes a Steamer, circa 1916

· In 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the Lusitania, a

British passenger ship, killing approximately 1,200 people,

including 128 Americans.

· Americans were infuriated with the destruction of the

Lusitania.

– secret message from

Germany to Mexico

urging Mexico to attack

the U.S. if the U.S.

declared war on

Germany

Moving Toward War

Zimmermann telegram:

– Germany promised to

help Mexico regain land

it lost to the U.S. in the

Mexican War.

* The U.S. declared war

on the Central Powers

in 1917.

(above) Zimmermann Telegram as

Received by the German Ambassador to

Mexico, 01/19/1917 (right) decoded words

Zimmermann

Telegram:

Decoded

Message

Despite the hero’s welcome he

received in Europe, Wilson’s plan for

peace would be rejected by the Allies

Wilson’s plan was called the

“Fourteen points”

Included in his “points” were:

No secret treaties

Freedom of the Seas

More free trade

Reduction of arms

Less colonialism

League of Nations to promote peace

WILSON FIGHTS FOR PEACE

Wilson’s 14

points in

his own

short hand

Germany 1,935,000

Russia 1,700,000

France 1,368,000

Austria-Hungary 1,200,000

British Empire 942,135

Ottoman Empire 725,000

Italy 680,000

Romania 300,000

United States 116,516

Bulgaria 87,495

Belgium 45,550

Serbia 45,000

Greece 23,098

Portugal 8,145

Montenegro 3,000

Japan 1,344

Military Casualties in World War I: 1914-1918

ALLIES REJECT WILSON”S

PLAN, SIGN TREATY

The Big Four leaders, Wilson

(U.S.), Clemenceau (France),

Lloyd George (England), and

Orlando (Italy), worked out the

Treaty’s details

Wilson conceded on most of

his 14 points in return for the

establishment of the League of

Nations

On June 28, 1919, the Big Four

and the leaders of the defeated

nations gathered in the Hall of

Mirrors at Versailles and signed

the Treaty of Versailles

Hall of Mirrors

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

The Treaty established nine

new nations including;

Poland, Czechoslovakia, and

Yugoslavia

The Treaty broke up the

Austro-Hungarian Empire and

the Ottoman Empire empires

The Treaty barred Germany

from maintaining an army,

required them to give Alsace-

Lorraine back to France, and

forced them to pay $33 billion

in reparations to the Allies

The Big Four met at Versailles

League of Nations Mandates in Africa

THE WEAKNESS OF THE

TREATY

The harsh treatment of

Germany prevented the

Treaty from creating a

lasting peace in Europe

The Treaty humiliated

the Germans by forcing

them to admit sole

responsibility for the war

(War-Guilt Clause)

Furthermore, Germany

would never be able to pay

$33 billion in reparationsGermans felt the Versailles

Treaty was unfair

In the United States, the Treaty

was hotly debated especially the

League of Nations

Conservative senators, headed

by Henry Cabot Lodge, were

suspicious of the Leagues’ joint

economic and military

commitments

Many wanted the U.S. Congress

to maintain the right to declare war

Ultimately, Congress rejected

U.S. involvement in the very

League the U.S. President had

created

DEBATE OVER TREATY AT

HOME

The U.S. never did join the league

THE LEGACY OF WWI

At home, the war strengthened

both the military and the power of the

government

The propaganda campaign

provoked powerful fears in society

For many countries the war

created political instability and

violence that lasted for years

Russia established the first

Communist state during the war

Americans called World War I,

“The War to end all Wars” ---

however unresolved issues would

eventually drag the U.S. into an even

deadlier conflictWWI 1914-1918

22 million dead, more than half civilians.

An additional 20 million wounded.

The Russian Revolution

-Key Concepts-

I. Pre-Revolutionary Russia

• Only true autocracy left in Europe

• No type of representative political institutions

• Nicholas II became Tsar in 1884

• Believed he was the absolute ruler anointed by God

Early 20c:

Russian

Social

Hierarchy

Russo-Japanese War (1904)

II. The Revolution of 1905

• The creation of a

discontented working class

• Vast majority of workers

concentrated in St.

Petersburg and Moscow

• Help from the countryside:

poor peasants

• No individual land ownership

Bloody SundayJanuary 22, 1905

The Czar’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg

II. Revolution of 1905 (cont)

• Russia industrialized on

the backs of the peasants

• Tremendous historic land

hunger among peasants

• Real winners of the 1905

Revolution: Middle Class

• Constitutional Democratic

Party

• --Duma

III. Conservatism Continues:

1905-1917

• Tsar paid no attention to the

Duma

• Duma harassed and political

parties suppressed

• Nicholas was personally a very

weak man

• Tsar became increasingly

remote as a ruler

IV. Alexandra: The Power Behind

the Throne

• Even more blindly committed to

autocracy than her husband

• The influence of Rasputin over

Alexandra

• Scandals surrounding Rasputin

served to discredit the monarchy

Alexis: Alexandra’s Son with

Hemophilia

V. World War I: “The Last Straw”• War revealed the ineptitude

and arrogance of the country’s aristocratic elite

• Corrupt military leadership and contempt for ordinary Russian people

• Average peasant has very little invested in the War

• Poorly supplied troops

• Result: Chaos and

Disintegration of the Russian

Army

V. World War I: “The Last Straw”

• World War I

– Russia was consistently defeated by Germany

• 4 million casualties in the first year

• 8 million for the entire war

VI. The Collapse of the Imperial

Government

• Nicholas leaves for the Front—September, 1915

• Alexandra and Rasputin throw the government into chaos

• Alexandra and other high government officials accused of treason

• Rasputin assassinated in December of 1916

VII. The Two Revolutions of 1917

• The March Revolution

(March 12)• Women in St. Petersburg led

citywide strike in February 1917

– 200,000 workers joined the strike

– Soldiers sent to stop the strike joined the strikers

– Led to general uprising in Russia

• The November

Revolution (November 6)

VIII. The March Revolution

• Duma declared itself a Provisional Government on March12th

• Tsar abdicated on March 17th

IX. Soviet Political Ideology

• More radical and

revolutionary than the

Provisional Government

• Most influenced by

Marxist socialism

• Two Factions

• -- “Mensheviks”

• -- “Bolsheviks”

X. Founder of Bolshevism:

Vladimir Lenin

• His Early Years

• --Exiled to Siberia in 1897

• Committed to Class

Struggle and Revolution

• Moved to London in 1902

and befriended Leon

Trotsky

X. Lenin (cont)

• Key role of the Party in

the revolution

• Bolsheviks split from the

Russian Socialist Party in

1912

• Character of the

Bolshevik Party

• --Joseph Stalin

XI. Vacuum of Leadership in

Russia• Failure of the Provisional

Government

• Workers refusing to work and soldiers refusing to fight

• Peasants were expropriating the land outright

• Power was literally lying in the streets of Petrograd

XII. Lenin Steps into This Vacuum

• Amnesty granted to all political prisoners in March of 1917

• Lenin’s arrival in Petrograd

• A tremendously charismatic personality

• “Peace, Land, Bread”

• “All Power to the Soviets”

• Bolshevik party membership exploded

• Consolidation of Bolshevik power

XIII. The November Revolution

• The events of November 6

• All private property of

wealthy was abolished and

divided among the

peasantry

• Largest industrial

enterprises nationalized

XIII. November Revolution (cont)

• Political Police organized: CHEKA

• Revolutionary army created with Trotsky in charge

• -- “Red Army”

• Bolshevik Party renamed Communist Party in March of 1918

• The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk negotiated with the Germans

XIII. November Revolution (cont)

• Civil War fought between

1917-1920

-- “Reds” versus “Whites”

• Complete breakdown of

Russian economy and

society

Reforms of Vladimir Lenin

Dies in 1924Battle for succession between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin

Reforms of Joseph Stalin

• Goal was to create communist state envisioned by Bolsheviks

• Collectivization

– Eliminate private farms in favor of collective farms

– Kills millions of peasants

– Secures Soviet control of countryside

• Creates a personality cult to support his totalitarian rule

Soviet Images of Stalin

Soviet Images of Stalin

Five-Year Plans Great Purge (1936-1939)

• Attempt by Stalin to eliminate political opposition

– Leading members of the Bolshevik party were executed or sent to labor camps

• Stalin purged prominent military officials

– 50% of a military officers were purged

• Historians estimate 10 to 20 million people died during the Great Purge

First Five-Year Plan (1928) focuses on iron, steel, machine tools, and electricity

Called for 1115% increase in coal production, 200% increase in iron, and 335% in electric powerPosted worker production in factories

Workers who failed to meet production quotas were shot or imprisoned in the Gulag